Tag Archives: ties

Deciding on a tie and shirt combination can be a struggle and sometimes a little boring. Whether you wear a shirt daily for work or only get one out for special occasions, we’ve got some top tips to help you match your shirts and ties with ease.

Try out a new base colour

It’s often instinct to reach for a crisp white shirt to set off a bold coloured tie, but a pale grey shirt is another option that will go with almost any tie. Grey can come across as a bit more sophisticated and is a bit more interesting than a standard white shirt!

Look for complimentary colours

Floral ties are great for brightening up your outfit for an occasion or even in a meeting. When choosing the right shirt to go with your floral tie, try to avoid coordinating with the main shade of your tie. Instead, choose a shirt that matches one of the less frequent shades, or the accent colour. This will allow the main colour of the tie to stand out, whilst ensuring the two items match.

Don’t be afraid to play with pattern

If you want to opt for a bold look and mix and match patterns, then you need to aim for patterns that have complementary shades and styles. If patterns are too similar the whole look will merge into one, too different and it looks a bit messy. As a general rule, always try and make sure your tie is darker than your shirt and have the pattern a little smaller too.

If in doubt keep it simple

Sometimes, for a formal event, you’ll probably be best sticking to a double cuff white shirt and keeping it simple. In this case, to add a bit of colour, you can add a tie that has a delicate pattern and some cufflinks that have a punch of colour. Classic combinations such as blue and white or red and white are a good go-to option.

There is a set of unspoken rules about wearing a tie, and a lot of us don’t know them. By learning these important rules, you can set yourself apart and become a much more professional and stylish individual.

These are the 3 elements of tie wearing and buying that can help you become more fashion conscious.

Length

We are all talking about Donald Trump’s terrible ties and the main problem is that they’re just too long!

It is recommended that your tie ends just above your belt buckle, with the tip of your tie hanging over slightly.

The problem with ties that are too long is that they look sloppy. Also, tying your tie too short risks you looking like a clown.

To get your tie at the right length, tie it when standing in your natural posture as slouching or standing up too tall can negatively affect the accuracy of your tie length.Another element to consider is the height of your trousers. If your trousers fit higher on the waist you do not want to significantly reduce the length of you tie with that, as it may make you look out of proportion.

Aim for your tie to fall relative to your waistband

Width

The width of your tie should be picked depending on your body shape. If you have very broad shoulders, opt for a slightly wider than average tie width as it will accentuate your body shape and emphasise your figure.

If you do not have very broad shoulders it is not advised to wear a wide tie as it emphasises that you do not have broad shoulders.

Those with a slim build should opt for a skinnier tie as it compliments your figure more effectively.

Knot

Getting the knot right is another extremely important element of tie wearing. A knot that is too big will like silly, but so will a knot that is too tiny.

The 3 knots you should know and use are:

Four-in-Hand

Half-Windsor

Windsor

A great small knot is the Four-in-Hand knot, which is a popular and necessary knot to know and use. The Windsor forms a symmetrical knot which is great for formal occasions.

Another tip is to create a dimple beneath the knot of your tie. This adds a finishing touch of style and can be done by forming a crease in the centre of your tie beneath the knot whilst tying it and then pulling it in to create a lovely fold/ dimple in your tie (See image below).